Testvet

why protect a lawyer who was either attempting to scam the government or a veteran out of the proper fees the lawyer was entitled to I thought fraud is a felony, filing false documents is another felony in the US Codes

We inspected controls over NOD processing at eight VAROs. Of those, 6 VAROs (75 percent) did not timely control NODs in VACOLS. VARO staff exceeded VBA’s 7-day standard for 108 (37 percent) of 294 NODs reviewed. Staff took an average of 21 days to record the 108 disagreements into VACOLS. The VAROs nonetheless generally met VBA’s pending timeliness goal of 145 days for NOD processing. The untimely recording of NODs in VACOLS occurred because of a lack of staff training and inadequate oversight of the appeals workload. Further, one VARO did not consider this work a priority and one VARO did not utilize available electronic databases to assist in timely NOD recording. Delays in recording NODs affect the integrity of VACOLS data and misrepresent performance. I have never even heard of anyone getting a NOD recognized and completely processed in a 145 days most of the time it is a year or more I have one going on 18 months I think these reports are just a CYA excercise for the VA

is this familiar I got SW Asia Service Medal. (Not accepted evidence of PTSD) What I have are actually ship's logs that place the ship at a certain date. I back the ship's logs up with evaluations etc. that cover that period. (Where is the stressor.....????) I also have specific surguries with medical evidence that place my body at a specific place. Those did not occur in a combat zone, but i'm hoping that being a combat vet overrides this. (Forget the "combat veteran"....you did NOT see or engage in any combat) My stressor was not specifically a navy combat, but all service. It was during the first gulf war. where there were wide-spread exposure to bio and chemical hazards in the Persian Gulf. I had transport duties to and from airports and various other destinations in the area, which exposed me to many hazards. It was considered a combat zone similar to today's war in Iraq. (You will need verifiable exposures and very specific incidents.....otherwise you are pissing up as rope and into the wind) I have read that stressors can occur anytime during service. Not just during combat. (They can indeed....but where are these stressors? Not trying to bust your chops, but thus far, you asked questions and provided no specifics, other than you served aboard ship and had no combat, yet insist you are a combat vet?....Get specific or we cannot address this!)) you can change names but the facts still are the same

is this the point where I can say "I told you so"? rofl

Bronco, I have to agree with John you have stepped in it here, the VA is a lot better for all veterans than it was 30 years ago and it has always been primarily a service for men, you used to never see female vets at the VA, I think the VA is more interested in hearing from women veterans than CHAMPVA users most VAs won't even see CHAMPVA dependents they don't have room for them is their claim. I am glad your wife gets first class care, but then again I get first class care at the VAMC I go to, I despise the VARO but the VAMC is excellent as far as my experience goes but then I refuse to go to Dorn VA 10 miles away and I drive to Augusta to be seen at Charlie Norwood and I am sure there are veterans that will say they have gotten lousy medical care at Charlie Norwood given the number of doctors and other medical personnel there some are not as good as others and some have really bad attitudes, I had one Primary Care doc that way about 10 years ago I went to the patient advocate and he talked to the Chief of Clinics and I was transferred to another doctor that didn't consider all Vietnam era vets as "drug seekers" as the first doctor called me he even refused to give me any cough medicine that had alcohol in it talk about attitude problems

thats why they bought me the tempurpedic adjustable bed I can't lay flat either but when I am in CHF I have no energy to do much of anything walking is even hard to do while I wait for the lasix and other meds to do their jobs we are trying to keep me out of the ICU have you been in the hospital much because of your CHF yet? The VA called yesterday about getting me into the AICD clinic and they want the records from Lexington to see why they want a AICD/Bioventricular pacemaker installed something about needing special circumstances for this type of device,, but I have read about the requirements and I meet them http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/services/tests/procedures/biventricular_pm.aspx Who is eligible to receive a CRT device? People with heart failure who have a poor ejection fraction (<35%) are at risk for fast, irregular and sometimes life- threatening heart rhythms. Ejection fraction is the measurement of how much blood is being pumped out of the left ventricle of the heart. CRT may be appropriate for people who: have severe or moderately severe heart failure symptoms are taking medications to treat heart failure have delayed electrical activation of the heart (such as intraventricular conduction delay or bundle branch block) Have a history of cardiac arrest or are at risk for cardiac arrest Together, you and your doctor will determine if this treatment is right for you. my ejection fraction was 10% when they did the last heart cath in April 2011 when I had that big heart attack in the hospital when they put me in that drug induced coma for a week and I have the other 3 issues as well I have more lives than a cat though I have survived a stroke in 1992 and 9 heart attacks since then 2 of them in April I am to mean to die

Carlie mrs testvet is making sure I take my meds weighs me everyday and really watches my diet I go thru the Columbia SC VARO for claims and the ILP program we were told today they approved a tempurpedic mattress and an adjustable frame as I spend a lot of time in bed anymore (it was cheaper than buying a real hospital bed)

there are bases all over the country that are in some cases 45 miles from the nearest grocey stores or towns like NTC at Fort Irwin if they closed that commissary it would really create a hardship on the families that live there, we disabled and retired people can shop where ever we like but if they close the commissary system that means they will also close the ones overseas in Korea and Germany and many active duty military and their families are really dependent on the military commissaries it's not always about us we do need to think of everyone

the really sad part is that Evans Georgia is a small town near Fort Gordon and a lot of military live there but the subdivision is in a expensive area of Evans and they find a way to keep out a lot of people for various reasons sad to see them doing this to a totally disabled veteran

regardless of how much it cost them to mail out to all their members they want everyone to know they are "fighting" trying to get the members and other disabled vets the highest pay raises they can they must have felt the need to toot their own horn

They are asking for the raise which would be higher for disabled vets either the COLA determineed by the CPI or the percentage that Congress raises pay for military members which ever would be greater in each year, I think we all know that is in response to the fact that we haven't had a COLA in 2 years but given the mood to cut spending in Congress I don't see the votes being there to pass this

make sure you find out all of the state benefits you are eligible for also, free or reduced car tags, property taxes, fishing and or hunting licenses, your ID cards for using military bases for recreation and shopping at PX or commissary and Class 6 stores the only thing you can't use is the base hospitals nor Space A flights some states have reduced or free college for the spouse or kids in addition to the Chapter 35 benefits available, each state is different and you need to find out what YOUR state has available Congrats on the award on your first try at it most of us have had to appeal and NOD our cases for a year or more before you got past their first low ball rating I am sorry your husband is disabled but glad he got the 100% P&T on the first attempt

they finished the ramp about 2:30 took 3 of them about 6 hours and he said he will be back later in the week to put in the bathtub lift and he suggested that I get the VA to put in a small deck around the pool and put a lift in for the swimming pool as it is theraputic for me to swim and excercise I didn't even know they make them for a pool Carlie I am surprised about how nice the Voc Rehab guy is being 5 years into this I thought they were only supposed to keep these files open for about 2 years I might be wrong but I feel like I am getting great service from them now. I wonder what caused the sea change in them? I don't know if it was the diagnosis of end stage congestive heart failure 3 months ago or he just decided to do his job right but we are happy with all they are doing now

Pete he called while I was in the hospital from June 10- 28th for that last round of CHF 14 days of it in ICU, and my wife told him that if that didn't do this stuff pretty soon there may not be any more days to "play" with it I started this back in 2006, when they bought be the computer and printers and photo equipment when Voc Rehab said I couldn't work anymore due to my SC issues and I was rated at 100% P&T so I am surprised that my case file is even still open, but he seems to be bending over backwards to get everything my wife says I need to be properly cared for at home in the time we have left I wish the cardiac clinic was operating at the same speed to get my AICD/pacemaker installed.....

as part of the ILP program my counselor approved a ramp be built for the wheel chair, I just talked to the rep friday and the construction crew is here today to build it, I asked him if he had a business license in my town and he said no, I told him then not to be shocked if the cops come by and shut him down for no business license nor a building permit, it is their responsibility to get those items not mine but I can't fault the ILP program, they are also paying for a hospital type bed for me we have to go tomorrow and pick out the mattress and bed rail (I keep falling out of bed) and my wife is afraid I will break some bones with all the weight I have lost in the past few months rofl

This is what patient advocates are for you need to go them them at the VAMC and tell them how this "new dr" is causing your father to suffer and he needs his pain meds filled on time each month and without delay, that he has cancer and how his doctor refused to treat his swollen gonads and how bad the problem got to before your dad even went to the ER over it, any patient should NOT have to live with pain of this type and especially a veteran since the doctor has refused to accept the outside Xrays to show the cancer groths did she order new xrays done by the VA? If not she should be removed, if the patient advocate doesn't bring you any satisfaction there is always the hospital director

Philip thanks I forget about that part I was thinking of the free 10,000 waiver for 100% SC vets I forgot about the 20,000 term life that we can all buy in the 2 year window.....

there are a few of them very few that have been SC for mental health reasons PTSD and or depression caused by being "used" in the experiments I communicate with Jack Alderson quite a bit as I am an Edgewood test vet from 1974 they stopped that program in 1975 after 20 years of using enlisted soldiers and airmen as test subjects the Navy would not let their personnel nor Marines to be used SHAD had a lot of land based tests as well as the ship based experiments many at Dugway Proving Grounds some in Alaska a few at Edgewood and some other military bases around the world......On SHAD information Jack Alderson would be the man to talk to if you want his e mail address contact me thru a PM or e mail me at aol using this same name testvet at aol.com I am not posting HIS e mail address in the open for any and all His privacy needs to be respected

in 2005 they sent me the insurance paperwork in one of the envelops and I assumed they were going to grant me 100% wrong they granted me 50% and I filed the NOD the next day they told me that the insurance paperwork was mailed to me by mistake do NOT assume anything you could end up broken hearted you may be lucky though and actually getting the 100% rating they will not grant the insurance waiver though until the VA actually has rated you at the right level good luck

high cholesterol is not considered a "disability" it is a lab report since you are 100% the 10 or 20% rating for HBP will not affect your benefits even if they award the HBP, it just opens up a claim for a heart attack or other cardiac issues down the road you never know if you will develop further cardiac issues I would try and get the HBP SC, since it was discovered within a few months of your retirement date. I fought with the VA for more than 7 years to get my CAD and HBP SC but then I have now had 9 heart attacks and a stroke which began when I was 36 back in 1992 and in Oct 2002 they determined I was totally disabled by heart disease mine is connected as a secondary condition to my SC PTSD but the odds I will die from heart problems is greater than any other issues I have so the fight was to ensure my wife gets the DIC benefits when I die

thanks John I was back in ICU for my heart failure from 10 June- 28 June it has taken me a day or so to even feel like posting on the computer I feel better now than I did after the April hospitalization but I hope this isn't what my future looks like spending 1 month out of 3 in an ICU hooked to IVs is to much deal with and I know the VA is going to fight the bills I hate to see how many tens of thousands all that ICU time is going to cost I was lucky in April they transferred me to MUSC and they treat all of the VA patients in congestive heart failure in Charleston due to the VA hospital there and in Columbia don't have a cardiac treatment program for congestive heart failure they billed the VA directly there now I just have to fight with the ambulance company over the 1845 bill for taking me from Lexington to Charleston I was transferred from one ICU to MUSC I couldn't exactly have my wife drive me I was on oxygen and on IVs when they moved me lucky for the VA they used an ambulance instead of a med evac chopper because that was their first idea I am sure that would have even been more expensive I am SC for cardiac issues and it was at night when I had the heart attack in April and my wife called the ambulance and Dorn doesn't have an ER at night anymore I think they should pay all the bills but we know how they are I am sure it will be a fight the ambulance company told my wife that they didn't want to wait for the VA to pay the bill as they are slow in paying it's not my fault but turning the bills to collection 2 weeks later and filing a lawsuit against me 15 days after that was pure BS my lawyer told the court I want a jury trial

Congrats a win is a WIN

took me more than 7 years to get my heart disease SC secondary to my SC PTSD just kept appealing their denial and low ball ratings I am now SC at 100% PTSD and 60% for CAD and 10% for hypertension although since my award I have had 2 more heart attacks and now my ejection fraction has dropped from 25% to 10% I am in end stage Congestive Heart failure, I spent 17 days in MUSC in ICU in April and on 10 June I was admitted to Lexington Medical Center and put into ICU again in heart failure they kept me until June 28 and I was told to get an AICD/Bioventricular Pacemaker put in, I have a referral in to VA Cardiology to get them to approve the installation. The VA seems to like to low ball the cardiac awards and makes us appeal them to the BVA since it takes 2-3 years, I imagine their way of doing it saves them a lot of money as many veterans die before the claims ever get heard. Keep appealing

thanks Flatbroke, the VA called at 9 am and the ladyon the phone stated that the pulmonary doctor had signed off on the order for oxygen and a home health care place in Lexington would call me later in the day or early tommorow and set up the delivery They called about 10 am they just left they left 22 B tabks and 4 smaller tanks (2 hours he said they would last) He said the B tanks last about 7 he showed my wife how to set up the pulse regulator but they also delivered a big convertor that pligs into the wall and it makes the oxygen and runs it thru a humidifier since I seldom leave the house I imagine most of the time I will be hooked up to the big unit when I am here at the computer and in bed, sure seems like a lot of equipment my thanks to all who responded it's nice to see the VA react in a reasonable time period it's hard when you can't get enough air into your body and is hard to catch your breath

I saw my primary care doc on Friday and my O2 levels would not get above 88 and he was referring me to pulmonary for the oxygen tanks and a portable system for when I leave the house, I guess this congestive heart failure is going to take me apart a small piece at a time, they were taLking about sending me home on oxygen from the hospital in April but my numbers were 94 and 96 so they didn't my wife also asked about getting one of those lightweight wheelchairs that she can fold up and put in the trunk or the back seat of the car I can't walk any distance anymore I get short of breath just walking to the kitchen